Sins of a Solar Empire: Diplomacy

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We go hands on with the last expansion for 2008's PC Game of the Year.

By Steve Butts

Later this month, Stardock will release the second and final micro-expansion pack for Sins of a Solar Empire. Called Sins of Solar Empire: Diplomacy, the new expansion will greatly improve the diplomatic options available to players. This is still a game about war, of course, so you won't be using Diplomacy to win a democratic sort of victory, but it does allow for lots of manipulation of both your allies and your enemies throughout the course of the game. We've had a build in our hands for a while now and are definitely looking forward to checking out the full release.

To get to the heart of the new expansion, players will really need to dive into the new Diplomacy tech tree. All factions have three levels of basic relations to research, which can give them slightly better results when negotiating. Near the top of each faction's research trees is a technology that eliminates any racial penalties that might dampen negotiations. Beyond that, in keeping with the overall approach of the entire game, each of the three races has their own unique approaches to diplomacy.

The TEC, for instance, can create Neruda Envoy ships that can be sent to improve relations with nearby planets. With higher levels of technology, the Neruda Envoys can even make use of tariffs to increase trade for both factions or collect donations for a worthy cause. Most interestingly, Neruda can send settlers to rival planets to increase population and improve relationships.

You have to know the techs to succeed at diplomacy.

A wide range of trade pacts can be researched as well, giving both factions an increase to trade income and metal production, as well as increasing the missile, armor and siege capabilities of both faction's ships. At the highest tech levels, players can unlock the ability to boost the supply limits of both factions' fleets.

While all that might get another faction to assist you, it doesn't allow you much room for outright manipulation and exploitation. That's where missions and diplomats come in. With the right technologies, the TEC can offer missions to other factions, and at a high enough level, give specific missions to the pirates. Skilled diplomats can improve the successes and lessen the failures of such missions. The Universal Negotiation technology allows players to offer or demand credits, metals or crystals from each other and if you supplement that with Political Kickbacks, you can even improve relations as you send even more cash to your rivals.

Along with all that, there are still a few other options for the would-be diplomat that are based purely on self-interest. Labor Negotiations can significantly improve the build rate for structures throughout your empire, for instance, which gives even the most warlike of players a reason to dive into the diplomacy tree now and then.

As with everything else, diplomacy looks very different from faction to faction.

The Advent's main diplomatic ship is the Herald Envoy cruiser. Following the faction's overall philosophy, the Herald Envoy is more focused on culture than cash and can be used both to improve a rival planet's culture. It can also improve that faction's relations while slowly restoring an assimilated planet's allegiance over time. The Advent diplomat's missions follow the general pattern of the TEC but instead of being focused on cash, they are focused more on crystals.

Their trade missions are also oriented towards other resources than those of the TEC. In the case of the Advent, their primary missions focus on expanding the culture of both parties. This can be extended to improving research, anti-matter drives, beam weapons, strike craft numbers and ship shields for both factions.